#IC21 Speaker Spotlight: Canada’s Ambassadors to the European Union, China, and the United States
On Wednesday, June 9, Invest Canada ’21 is pleased to welcome featured speakers Dr. Ailish Campbell, Canada’s Ambassador to the EU, Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States of America, and Dominic Barton, Canada’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. The three Ambassadors will be participating in the Geopolitical Trends and Trade panel, presented by Alberta Enterprise Corporation (AEC).
The Chinese, European, and U.S. economies are the world’s largest markets and Canada’s economy is highly dependent on theirs. For many years, multilateral trade agreements and the rise of a deeply intertwined and globally connected economy gave Canada reassurance of our ability to access these markets. While trade agreements remain in place, the geopolitical dynamics are shifting, and many countries are looking inwards rather than embracing past liberalization. This panel featuring Canadian Ambassadors will examine the current global outlook and discuss its impact on Canada’s economy.
Canada’s Ambassador to the EU, Dr. Ailish Campbell, leads diplomatic representation to the EU and strategic engagement of Canada’s second-largest trade and investment partner. Ambassador Campbell joined Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in 2002 as a trade negotiator in the WTO Doha Round. During her time as a federal public servant, she has held successively senior executive roles in economic, finance, and international policy including at the Privy Council Office and Industry Canada. From 2017 – 2020 she served as Chief Trade Commissioner of Canada and Assistant Deputy Minister, leading Global Affairs Canada’s team of Trade Commissioners across six Canadian offices and over 150 locations worldwide. Under her leadership, the Trade Commissioner Service expanded services to high-growth companies and established a range of new digital services to small businesses to promote the use of Canada’s global network of free trade agreements.
Canada’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Dominic Barton, was appointed as Canada’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in 2019. Prior to his nomination, Ambassador Barton was a Global Managing Partner at McKinsey & Company where he served from 2009 to 2018. Ambassador Barton also served as Chairman of Teck Resources and as Non-Executive Director at the Singtel Group in Singapore and Investor AB in Sweden. Ambassador Barton has served on several boards as chair and in 2016, Ambassador Barton assumed the responsibility of Chair for the Canadian Minister of Finance’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth.
Canada’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Kirsten Hillman, was appointed in 2020. Prior to 2020, Ambassador Hillman as Canada’s Acting Ambassador to the US from August 2019 until her nomination and served as Deputy Ambassador in Washington from 2017 until 2019. Ambassador Hillman has held various positions at home and abroad, including Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of the Trade Policy Branch and Senior Legal Adviser at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the World Trade Organization in Geneva. Before joining Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Hillman practiced law in the private sector in Montréal and at the Department of Justice in Ottawa.
Governments and investors know that capital moves towards opportunity. What does the current landscape present in terms of barriers and challenges? Are there new opportunities for cross-border investment and collaboration? Canada’s ambassadors to the EU, China, and the US will answer pressing and important questions related to global trade, regulation, and the broader geopolitical landscape that influences investment decision-making. Join us for a candid discussion about the world today.
The session at Invest Canada will be just one of 18 content sessions at the conference following seven days of networking for the 600+ attendees. The conference also features a Masterclass and a complimentary wine tasting with a world-renowned winemaker.
You can view the agenda and register for Invest Canada here.
